A Cuban delegation participated in the 6th World Forum on Local Economic Development (WFLED), held in Seville, Spain, from April 1 to 4, 2025. This participation took place within the framework of the “Program for the Ecological Transition towards Sustainable Municipalities”, funded by the European Union in Cuba. The initiative aims to strengthen the effective participation of various local actors in the design and implementation of their Municipal Development Strategies.
As an integral part of this capacity-building process at the local level, the program—led by AICS Havana—promoted and facilitated the participation of the Cuban delegation in the Forum’s activities. This major international event served as a crucial platform for the exchange of knowledge and experiences, and for the building of strategic partnerships with stakeholders from around the world.
The Cuban delegation included twelve members, comprising local authorities and representatives from eight municipalities currently participating in the program, researchers with proven experience in the field of local development, and technical staff from the national implementing entities, notably the Center for Local and Community Development (CEDEL) and the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP). The delegation also featured representatives from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlighting the collaborative and international nature of the initiative.
The Forum brought together approximately 2,500 participants from over 100 countries, including local and regional governments, development agencies, cooperation networks, civil society, and the academic sector. In its sixth edition, the Forum reaffirmed the central role of local economic development as an essential strategy for sustainable and inclusive growth, stressing the importance of formulating and implementing public policies tailored to local contexts, and building strong multi-stakeholder global alliances to achieve this goal.
Cuba’s contribution—and that of the “Program for the Ecological Transition towards Sustainable Municipalities”—over the course of the Forum’s four intense days was remarkable and impactful, marked by broad and active participation from the Cuban delegation. Cuban counterparts took center stage as speakers in various working sessions, technical workshops, and political dialogues included in the official agenda of the event.
The Forum concluded with a joint declaration highlighting the transformative impact of local economic development on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in today’s complex global context. It emphasized the crucial role of territories in finding solutions to global challenges—especially in view of the upcoming 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), to be held again in Seville, from June 30 to July 3, 2025.
